Means for providing strips of sheet material with rolled or folded edges



July 14, 1942, H. ALFANDRE 2,289,472 MEANS IfBQVIDING STRIPS, 0F SHEET MATERIAL L WI'TH ROLLED OR-FOLDED- EDGES Filed Dec. 6, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l Ihwentor gm A! 0/ July 14, 1942. H'. ALFANDRE 2,289,472

MEANS FOR PROVIDING STRIPS 0F SHEET MATERIAL WITH ROLLED OR FOLDED EDGES Filed Dec; 6, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Snventor attorney Patented July 14, 1942 UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE MEANS FOR PROVIDING STRIPS OF SHEET MATERIAL WITH ROLLED OR FOLDED EDGES 17 Claims.

This invention relates to means for formin a rolled or folded edge on the end of strips of sheet material such, for example, as fabric straps.

The present invention is particularly advantageous in providing the ends of adjustable straps a such as, for example, shoulder straps or garter straps with enlarged end portions to prevent the straps, after they are assembled with companion buckles, from accidental displacement from said buckles. An adjustable strap of the type in reference to which the present invention may be used with great advantage is illustrated in United States Letters Patent No. 2,091,176, granted to me on August 24, 1937, and more particularly in Figs. 11 and 12 of said Letters Patent.

In accordance with the present invention, one end of afabric strap or other strip of sheet material is rolled or fold-ed to form the enlargement and the rolled or folded end is stitched down for the full width of the strap. This is accomplished, in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention, by the provision of means for forming a rolled edge on the end of the strap and for feeding the same to the needle of a sewing machine for stitching the rolled. edge in position to prevent unrolling or unfolding of said edge, and further the operations of forming the rolled edge and of stitching the same are performed substantially automatically in response to a manual manipulation of the rolled edge forming means, in conjunction with the operation of the stitch-forming mechanism of the sewing machine.

The invention will be fully understood from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiment of the invention, it being understood, however, that said drawings are not to be considered as in limitation of the invention but only as illustrative of the preferred embodiment thereof.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of the head of the sewing machine and of the means for forming the rolled or folded edge on the end of the strap;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of a strap provided with a rolled orfolded edge;

Fig. 3 is a view in elevation on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Figs. 4 and 5 are detail sectional views on the lines l l and 5-5, respectively, of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a plan View, on a larger scale, and partly in section on the line 66 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view, on a larger scale, on the line 1--1 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view on the line 8-8 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 is a sectional-View on the line 9-9 of Fig. 7;

' Fig. 10 is a more or less diagrammatic view.

illustrating the stitching of the rolled or folded edge of the strap.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, there is illustrated in Fig. 1 a sewing machine head In mounted on a frame 12, the top of which is provided with the usual throat plate l4. Said head is provided with the usual needle bar 16 by which the needle I8 is reciprocated, and the conventional presser foot is indicated at 20. It will be understood that needle l8 forms a part of the usual stitch-forming mechanism as in the conventional sewing machine. In brief, the sewing machine may be any well known sewing machine and it will be understood that said machine comprises all of the instrumentalities customarily provided in sewing machines for feeding the fabric and for stitching the same.

As illustrated by way of example in Fig. 2 of the drawings, a fabric strap F is provided with an enlargement or stop constituted by a rolled or folded edge E stitched down on the body of the strap by a line of stitching S. Heretofore said folded edge has been formed by hand manipuations, or in lieu of the folded edge a metal member has been attached to the end of the strap to provide the enlargement or stop. In accordance with the present invention, the folded edge E of strap F is formed by the edge-folding device 22 which is mounted on the top of thesewing machine frame l2 in position to feed the folded edge of the strap to the stitch-forming mechanism of the sewing machine and more particularly to the needle l8 forming a part of the stitch-forming mechanism. The rolled-edge forming device 22 is carried by a plate 24 secured to the top of the sewing machine frame by screws 26 which extend through a slot 28 in said plate to permit adjustment of the latter is relation to throat plate I4 whereby to adjust device 22 in relation to the sewing machine needle l8. Device 22 is adjustably secured to plate 24 and more particularly to the upstanding portion 30 of said plate by a U-shaped bracket 32 by screws 34 and 36 which pass through openings in plate portion 30 and are threaded into said U-shaped bracket. The opening in plate portion 30 for the shank of screw 35 is an elongated slot 38 to permit bracket 32 to be adjusted at a desired angle to the top of frame I2 as illustrated in Fig. 1.

Bracket 52 is provided with circular bearing openings 48 and 42 formed in spaced end portions 4I and 43 in which a tubular member 44 has a sliding fit for movement longitudinally of bracket 32 toward and away from needle I8. Said tubular member 44 is prevented from rotating by the pin 45 of the screw 48 threaded into bracket 32 adjacent opening 48. Said pin projects into a longitudinally extending slot 58 provided in tubular member 44. A second tubular 52 is disposed and has a bearing within tubular member 44 for rotary and longitudinal movement.

therein. Rotary movement of tubular member 52 is accomplished by providing in said member a spiral slot 54 in which a pin 55 is engaged whereby longitudinal movement of tubular member 52 results in rotary movement thereof. 56 is carried by a collar 58 which is fixed to tubular member 44 by the threaded head 68 of pin 55. A spring 82 bears at one end against, the side of collar 58 and at its other endagainst the confronting surface of end portion 43 of bracket 32. A pin 65 is secured within inner tubular, member 52 in fixed relation thereto, as by soldering indicated at in Fig. 8, or in any other Pin suitable way, in position so that its inner end 68:

engages pin 55 in the retracted position of tubular member 52. bifurcated outer end constituted by a pair of longitudinally and outwardly extending prongs 70, said prongs being fixed in longitudinally extending grooves 72 in pin 65 (Fig. 9). Prongs 18 engage the end portion of strap F at opposite sides, respectively, of the latter for forming the rolled or folded edge El upon rotation of said prongs which occurs when sleeve 52' is rotated pursuant to the longitudinal motion thereof.

A second pin 14 is fixed within inner tubular member 52 in spaced relation to pin 66, longitudinally of tubular member 52. The inner end I8 of pin I4 is thus in position to engage pin 56 and is brought into engagement with said pin after a predetermined longitudinal and rotary movement of tubular member 52. When the inner end 16 of pin 74 engages pin 58, further rotary movement of inner tubular member 52 is prevented and likewise further relative movement of tubular-members 52 and 44 terminates and said tubular members U move as a unit to projected position whereby to present the rolled edge E of strap F to the needle I8 of the sewing machine for forming the line of stitching S which secured the rolled or folded edge E to the body of the strap. Thus, the action of the mechanism thus far described is such that upon longitudinal movement of tubular member 52, prongs18 are first rotated. the rotation being about one revolution and a half and then said tubular member 52, ceases to rotate and moves longitudinally together with tubular member 44 against the pressure of spring 62 longitudinally to projected position, toward the needle I8 which is efiective together with the other part of the stitchforming mechanism of the machine to stitch down the rolled edge E to the body of the fabric. In moving from retracted to projected positions the prongs 18 are turned so that they are spaced from each other horizontally to permit the needle I 8 to pass therebetween in thestitching operation. After the stitching operation, tubular members 44 and 52 and the prongs I8 carried by the latter are returned to retracted position for operation upon another strap. In said retracted position prongs I8 are spaced The outer end of pin 68 has a from each other vertically, as illustrated in Fig. 1, to facilitate the insertion of the strap between said prongs.

The mechanism for moving tubular members 44 and 52 to projected position comprises a thrust member I8 constituted by a cylindrical cap having an annular shoulder 88 which engages one side of an anti-friction or thrust ball bearing 82. The outer end 84. of pin I4 projects through a bushing 86 fixed to the inner race 88 of the ball bearing 82. The inner edge 98 of bushing 86 engages the outer edge of tubular 1 member 52, and the outer end 82 of bushing 86 is engaged by the upset end 94 of pin I4. Bushing 86 rotates with inner race 88 on the end portion 84 of pin 74. It will be observed that the outer end of cap I8 has a recess 95 so that said cap does not engage the upset outer end 94 of pin 74. A sleeve 98 is mounted on outer tubular member 44 in sliding engagement therewith and is provided with an annular flange I88 having a threaded peripheral edge I82 threaded into the peripheral wall I84 of thrust cap 18. The inner end of flange I88 engages the outer race of ball bearing 82. A spring I is disposed in sleeve 98 and is in engagement at one end thereof with the adjacent end I88 of outer tube 44 and at its other end with an annular shoulder I-IO formed on flange I88 of sleeve 98. The function of spring I85 is to rotate tubular member 52 immediately following the return of' said tubular member to partially retracted position by spring 62 whereby member 52 is moved longitudinally to fully retracted position. It will be understood that spring I 85 is substantially weaker than spring 62 whereby rotary motion of tubular member 52 and of the prongs 18 carried thereby will occur only after movement of tubular member 44 to the retracted position thereof predetermined by the engagement of collar 53 with the adjacent end 4| of bracket 32. A positioning member II2 for the end of the strapF which is to be operated on is secured to plate portion 38 by screw 34, said positioning member being spaced laterally of 1 prongs 18.

As shown in Fig. 1, the sewing machine is provided with a foot actuated mechanism for operating the rolled-edge forming means 2-2. For this purpose, an arm H4 is disposed at the rear of thrust cap 18in. position to engage the by a socket member I I8 adjustably secured to said shaft by a set screw I28. Arm II 4 is fixed in socket member 8 by a set screw II9. Shaft,

H6 is supported for rotationin bearings carried by hangers I22. An arm or lever I24 for rotating shaft H8 is. secured to the latter by a socket member I26 which is fixed to the shaft by a set screw I28. One end I38 of arm I24 is threaded into socket member I28 and the other end I32 of said arm is connected to the foot treadle I34- by a link I38. Said foot treadle is pivoted at I35. A spring I38 is connected to arm I24 and to frame I2 for rotating shaft II6 to retract arm II4 from engagement with thrust cap I8.

In the operation of the sewing machine with the edge rolling or folding device 22, a strap F is positioned substantially as shown in Fig. 6 with an end portionthereof in the space between the prongs 18' and with the edge of the strap in engagement with the positioning member I I2.

Then treadle I34 is depressed for causing arm H4 to engage thrust cap 18. Movement of thrust cap 18 toward the needle l8 by arm H4 causes tubular member 52 to move longitudinally of tubular member 44 and simultaneously to rotate within tubular member 44 until the end of pin 16 is engaged by pin 56. Then tubular members 44 and 52 move as a unit against the pressure of spring 62, without rotation of tubular member 52, whereby to present the rolled or folded edge E of the fabric strap F to the needle l8 for stitching down of said rolled or folded edge. It will be understood that since spring I06 is substantially weaker than spring 62, movement of end thrust cap 18 and of outer sleeve 98 connected thereto in a direction for projecting inner tubular member 52 is ineffective to project outer tubular member 44 which, however, is projected, as stated, when the end of pin 18 fixed to inner tubular member 52 engages pin 56. As soon as the folded edge E is stitched down by the needle 18 of the stitch-forming mechanism the operator releases the treadle I34 whereby to disengage arm H4 from thrust cap 18. Upon release of the end thrust cap 18, spring 62 returns inner and outer tubular members 44 and 52, respectively, as a unit, to fully and partially retracted positions, respectively, and thereafter spring I06 completes the movement of inner tubular member 52 so that the latter is fully retracted. The return of tubular member 52 by spring I06 to fully retracted positions causes said member to rotate until the end 68 of pin 66 engages pin 56. Thus the movement of thrust cap 18 in one direction is effective first to rotate inner tubular member 52 for forming the rolled or folded edge E, then to move said inner tubular member and outer tubular member 44 as a unit to present the 'rolled edge to the needle for stitching of said edge to the bottom of the fabric strap, and thereafter upon release of end thrust cap 18, said outer tubular member and said inner tubular member and the prongs carried by the latter are returned to retracted or initial position for action upon another strap.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be undertsood that the latter may be embodied otherwise than as here shown, and that in the illustrated embodiment certain changes in the details of construction and in the arrangement of parts may be made, and that certain parts may be used without others. Accordingly, I do not wish to be limited to the construction herein shown or described except to the extent which may be required by the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a sewing machine, the combination with the needle thereof of means for forming a rolled edge on the end of a strip of sheet material comprising a rotary member engageable with an end portion of the strip for forming said rolled edge, said rotary member being mounted for longitudinal movement, means for rotating said rotary member for forming said rolled edge, and means for moving said rotary member toward said needle longitudinally in the direction of the stitching line of the machine to present said rolled edge to the needle for the stitching thereby of said rolled edge.

2. In a sewing machine, the combination with the needle thereof of means for forming a rolled edge on the end of a strip of sheet material comprising a rotary member engageable with an end portion of the strip forforming said rolled edge, and means for rotating said rotary member for forming said rollededge, said rotary l member being mounted on said machine for movement toward said needle longitudinally in i the direction of the stitching line of the machine to present said rolled edge to the needle for the stitching thereby of said rolled edge.

3. In a sewing machine, the combination with the needle thereof of means for forming a rolled edge on the end of a strip of sheet material comprising a rotary member engageable with an end portion of the strip for forming said rolled edge, a tubular member in which said rotary member is mounted for movement rotatably and longitudinally in relation thereto, interengaging means on said tubular and rotary members for effecting rotation of said rotary member upon movement thereof longitudinally of said tubular member, a thrust bearing secured to said rotary member, means operative to move said rotary member longitudinally in one direction under pressure exerted on said last mentioned means in said direction, said thrust bearing being rotatable in relation to said last mentioned means, and means for exerting pressure on said last mentioned means in said direction.

4. A device for forming a rolled edge on the end of a strip of sheet material, comprising a rotary member having a bifurcated part engageable with an end portion of the strip on the opposite sides of the latter and operable upon rotation of said member to roll said edge portion upon itself, a tubular bearing in which said rotary member is mounted for movement rotatably and longitudinally in relation thereto, a bearing in which said tubular bearing is mounted for 1ongitudinal movement and in which it is held against rotation, interengaging means on said rotary member and said tubular bearing for causing said rotary member to rotate when moved longitudinally in relation to said tbular bearing, a part fixed to said rotary member engageable with said means on said tubular bearing after a predetermined turning movement of said rotary member for preventing additional turning thereof and for causing said rotary tubular bearing member to move longitudinally in the same direction with said rotary member, spring means for resiliently opposing said longitudinal movement of said tubular bearing in one direction and for moving said tubular bearing in the opposite di rection, and spring means for moving said rotary member in said opposite direction longitudinally in relation to said tubular bearing.

5. A device for forming a rolled edge on the end of a strip of sheet material, comprising a rotary member having a bifurcated part engageable with an end portion of the strip on the opposite sides of the latter and operable upon rotation of said member to roll said edge portion upon itself, a non-rotary tubular member in which said rotary member is mounted for rotary and longitudinal movement in relation thereto, interengaging means on said members effective to cause rotation of said rotary member when the same is moved longitudinally, a thrust bearing secured to rotary member, and means operative to move said rotary member longitudinally in one direction under pressure exerted on said last mentioned means in said direction, said thrust bearing being rotatable in relation to said last mentioned means.

6. A device for forming a rolled edge on the it is longitudinally movable, said rotary member having a spiral slot and a pin fixed to said tubular bearing and engaging said rotary member in said slot whereby longitudinal movement of said rotary member in said tubular bearing causes said rotary member to rotate, a spring resiliently opposing longitudinal movement of said rotary member in relation to said tubular bearing in one direction, and a stronger spring holding said tubular bearing member against longitudinal movement in relation to said second bearing in said direction until after a predetermined movement of said rotary member.

7. A device for forming a rolled edge on the end of a strip of sheet material, comprising a rotary member having a bifurcated part engagel able with an end portion of the strip on the opposite sides of the latter and operable u-pon rotation of said member to roll said edge portion upon itself, a tubular bearing for said rotary member in which the latter is longitudinally movable to projected and retracted positions,

means on said tubular bearing member engageable with said rotary member for causing rotation thereof when said rotary member moves longitudinally in said bearing member, and spring means for moving said rotary member from projected position to retracted position.

8. A device for forming a rolled edge on the end of a strip of sheet material, comprising a rotary member having a part adapted to engage an end portion of the strip and operative upon turning movement to roll said end portion on itself to form the rolled edge, means forming a bearing in which said rotary member is rotatably and longitudinally movable in relation to said bearing, and means for rotating said rotary member comprising a part of the latter having a spiral slot, and a stationary pin fixed to said bearing and projecting into said slot whereby said member is turned in relation to said bearing when moved longitudinally therein.

9. A device for forming a rolled edge on the end of a strip of sheet material, comprising a rotary member having a part adapted to engage an end portion of the strip and operative upon I Y turning movement to roll said end portion on itself to form the rolled edge, means forming a bearing in which said rotary member is rotatably and longitudinally movable in relation to said bearing, means for rotating said rotary member and for moving the same longitudinally, a part for imparting longitudinal movement to said member, an anti-friction thrust bearing between said last mentioned part and said member, a second bearing in which said first bearing is mounted for longitudinal movement, means for preventing turning movement of said first bearing, and means for moving said first bearing longitudinally after a predetermined turning of said rotary member.

10. A device for forming 9, rolled edge on the end of a strip of sheet material, comprising a rotary member having a part adapted to engage an end portion of the strip and operative upon turning movement to roll said end portion on itself to form the rolled edge, means forming a bearing in which said rotary member is rotatably and longitudinally movable in relation to said bearing, means for rotating said rotary member and for moving the same longitudinally in said bearing, a part for imparting longitudinal movement to said member, an anti-friction thrust bearing between said last mentioned part and said member, and means engageable with said last mentioned part for exerting pressure thereon to actuate said member, a second bearing in which said first bearing is mounted for longitudinal movement, means for preventing turning movement of said first bearing, spring means opposing longitudinal movement of said first bearing in one direction, and means operable after a predetermined movement of said rotary member to move said first bearing in said direction.

11. In a sewing machine, the combination with the needle thereof of means for forming a rolled edge on the end of a strip of sheet material comprising a rotary member engageable with an end portion of the strip for forming said rolled edge, said rotary member being movable toward'said needle to present said rolled edge to the needle for the stitching thereby of said rolled edge, means forming a bearing in which said member is rotatably and longitudinally movable, means for rotating said member comprising a part of said rotary member having a spiral slot, a stationary pin fixed to said bearing and projecting into said slot whereby said member is turned when moved longitudinally in said bearing, a part for imparting longitudinal movement to said member, and an anti-friction thrust bearing between said last mentioned part and said member. 12. In a sewing machine, the combination with the needle thereof of means for forming a rolled edge on the end of a strip of sheet material comprising a rotary member engageable with an end portion of the strip for forming said rolled edge, said rotary member being movable toward said needle to present said rolled edge to the needle for the stitching thereby of said rolled edge,

e means forming a bearing in which said member is rotatably and longitudinally movable in relation to said bearing, means for rotating said member comprising a part of said member having a spiral slot, a stationary pin fixed to said bearing and projecting into said slot whereby said member is turned when moved longitudinally in said bearing, a part for imparting longitudinal movement to said member, an anti-friction thrust bearing between said last mentioned part and said member, and means mounted on the sewing machine and engageable with said last mentioned part for exerting pressure thereon to actuate said member.

13. A device for forming a rolled edge on the end of a strip of sheet material, comprising a rotary member having a part adapted to engage an end portion of the strip and operative upon turning movement to roll said end portion on itself to form the rolled edge, means forming a bearing in which said rotary member is rotatably and longitudinally movable in relation to said bearing, means for rotating said rotary member and for moving the same longitudinally in relation to said bearing, a second bearing in which said first bearing is mounted for longitudinal movement, means operative after a predetermined rotary movement of said member to prevent further rotary movement thereof while permitting addi tional longitudinal movement thereof in the same direction together with said first bearing, and

means for preventing movement of said first bearing until after a predetermined turning movement of said rotary member.

14. A device for forming a rolled edge on the end of a strip of sheet material, comprising a rotary member having a part adapted to engage an end portion of the strip and operative upon turning movement to roll said end portion on itself to form the rolled edge, means forming a bearing in which said rotary member is rotatably and longitudinally movable in relation to said bearing, means for rotating said member comprising a part of said member having a spiral slot, a stationary pin fixed to said bearing and projecting into said slot whereby said member is turned when moved longitudinally in said bearing, a second bearing in which said first bearing is mounted for longitudinal movement, and means operative after a predetermined rotary movement of said member to prevent further rotary movement thereof while permitting additional longitudinal movement thereof in the same direction together with said first bearing.

15. A device for forming a rolled edge on the end of a strip of sheet material, comprising a rotary member having a bifurcated part engageable with an end portion of the strip on the opposite sides of the latter and operable upon rotation of said member to roll said edge portion upon itself, means for rotating said bifurcated part comprising a spirally slotted longitudinally movable member and a non-rotary pin in engagement with the spiral slot thereof whereby longitudinal movement of said slotted member causes the same to rotate, and an anti-friction thrust member for moving said slotted member longitudinally.

16. A device for forming a rolled edge on the end of a strip of sheet material, comprising a rotary member having a bifurcated part engageable with an end portion of the strip on the opposite sides of the latter and operable upon rotation of said member to roll said edge portion upon itself, means for rotating said bifurcated part comprising a spirally slotted longitudinally movable member and a non-rotary pin in engagement with the spiral slot thereof whereby longitudinal movement of said slotted member causes the same to rotate, and means for limiting the rotary movement of said bifurcated part and for projecting the same longitudinally after interruption of said rotary movement.

17. A device for forming a rolled edge on the end of a strip of sheet material, comprising a rotary member having a bifurcated part engageable with an end portion of the strip on the opposite sides of the latter and operable upon rotation of said member to roll said edge portion upon itself, a tubular member mounted for longitudinal movement, means for rotating said bifurcated part comprising a spirally slotted member mounted in said tubular member for longitudinal and rotary movement in relation thereto, and a pin fixed to said tubular member and in engagement with the spiral slot whereby longitudinal movement of said slotted member causes the same to rotate, and means for limiting the rotary movement of said bifurcated part and for projecting the same longitudinally after interruption of said rotary movement, said last mentioned means comprising said tubular member and said pin, and a member in fixed relation to said slotted member and engageable with said pin after a predetermined rotary movement of said slotted member.

HARRY ALFANDRE. 

